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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22584304">toward a victorious dawn</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/joltik/pseuds/joltik'>joltik</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the divine &amp; the profane [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Clothed Sex, F/F, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Porn with Feelings, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 12:47:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,474</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22584304</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/joltik/pseuds/joltik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Knowing that you might die tomorrow, that tomorrow could be the day everything comes crashing down...that you could lose the person most important to you...that awakens a special kind of desperation in people.</p><p>(Loose sequel to "if this body's a temple, let us defile it" and "(let me show you my) adoration," set the night before the Battle of Fhirdiad.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>the divine &amp; the profane [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1562728</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>194</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>toward a victorious dawn</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>happy valentine's day.</p><p>this is a loose sequel to "if this body's a temple, let us defile it" and "(let me show you my) adoration," but i don't think you need to have read those to understand it. (i recommend you do so regardless, because i'm proud of those fics, but you don't have to.)</p><p>a note that while i haven't finished cindered shadows yet, some aspects of this fic series might contradict stuff in that dlc. this is justified because 1. i started writing this fic series back in october, long before we knew anything about the dlc and 2. i don't really consider the dlc canon because of some timeline contradictions with all routes (although the lore in it is definitely canon)</p><p>also unrelated to this fic specifically, i wrote something for the nsfw edeleth zine, saghert and cream! preorders are open today if that's something you're interested in; otherwise, my fic "good vibrations. or, from the desk of her majesty edelgard von hresvelg with love" will go up on this account whenever i get clearance to post it</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Midnight falls, tense and quiet, over the imperial encampment, and the air feels thick, heavy, with anticipation laced with anxiety. Tomorrow, they march on Fhirdiad. Tomorrow, whether it be in victory or failure, everything ends.</p><p>Edelgard...probably shouldn’t be surprised that she can’t sleep, really. She lies, awake, on her bedroll, quiet, where she’s spent the past few hours tossing and turning. She sits up, finally giving up on sleep for now, and exits the encampment. Maybe some fresh air will help, she thinks.</p><p>She finds Byleth outside, almost as if she’s waiting for her. “I wondered if you’d be able to sleep,” Byleth says, her voice soft, as she gazes off into the distance.</p><p>“Yes, though it appears that sleep has managed to evade both of us, at least for the time being,” Edelgard says. “Are you prepared for tomorrow, my teacher?”</p><p>“I’m a little impatient, if anything. Want to just get it over with,” Byleth says. “But at the same time…I feel. Somewhat anxious.”</p><p>“Mm. I believe I understand how you’re feeling. My feelings on the matter are...similar, I think,” Edelgard says. “On the one hand, this is precisely what we have been fighting for, all this time. It’s right in front of us, ready for us to grasp. On the other hand…it’s hard not to think about all of the things that could go wrong, or the people we could lose.”</p><p>“Yeah…”</p><p>“That being said, it’s hardly the first time we’ve faced stakes such as these. We have always pulled through so far, and...I’m not inclined to have faith in any deity or higher power or fate, but I do have faith in us. That we can win this, pull through this.</p><p>“But there will be inevitable losses, and that’s the part that makes me nervous. The true cost of battles such as this is always...personal.”</p><p>“Were you thinking about Dimitri?” Byleth says, her voice soft.
</p><p>“...Yes. Among other things, I suppose. Other people, really. I prefer to think about the living when I can, rather than the ghosts that haunt me.”
</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>“I thought about you, mostly.” Byleth looks up at that, her eyes widening. “I...care about you, very much, my teacher. Byleth. And...I don’t want to lose you.”</p><p>Byleth closes the distance and takes her hand, holds it. Her hand is firm, in hers. Warm. <em>Real.</em> Edelgard grasps her fingers tightly, and if Byleth notices her trembling, she doesn’t say anything, for which Edelgard is grateful.</p><p>They’re like this for some time. The silence is heavy with anxiety, nervous tension thrumming through the two of them, but it isn’t...uncomfortable. Not here, not...together.</p><p>After some time, Edelgard says, “It’s quite cold out...we should head back inside, probably.” A beat, and then, suddenly not wanting to be alone, she adds, “Did you...want to come back to my tent with me?”</p><p>Byleth blinks at her, considering, her brow wrinkled in thought. After a moment, she seems to find whatever answer she was looking for; she nods and says, “Sure.”</p><p>They make their way into Edelgard’s tent. Byleth looks around in open curiosity, and she says, “Should I make us some tea?”</p><p>“As lovely as that sounds,” Edelgard says, “I was...thinking it would be nice to just lie down for a while. To try and get some sleep, perhaps.”</p><p>“Mm. Okay.”</p><p>It takes some maneuvering to arrange the bedding for both of them, with Edelgard using not much more than the standard issue bedroll and some extra blankets in spite of her status, but eventually they manage. The two of them end up just holding each other for a while. Edelgard somehow ends up with her head pressed against Byleth’s chest, and...she can’t help but notice her former teacher’s lack of heartbeat. It’s not the first time she’s heard it, but it’s always...jarring. Disturbing, almost. </p><p>She finds herself musing over how strange it is, how jarring the absence of something one would normally expect is when it would normally be so easy just to take its presence for granted.</p><p>...That aside, it’s hard for her to deny that the position she’s in has...certain benefits.</p><p>“Mmff,” Edelgard mumbles against Byleth’s breasts.</p><p>“What was that, El?” Byleth says with a laugh.</p><p>Edelgard huffs, her face heating as she feels herself blush, and pulls herself away far enough to say, “Your breasts are...rather nice.”</p><p>“...Do you really like them that much?”</p><p>“You should know the answer to that by now,” Edelgard says with a huff.</p><p>Byleth spends a long moment peering down at her in contemplative silence before saying, “Did you...were you wanting to have sex with me? When you asked me...”</p><p>“That...was why I invited you back to my tent, yes.”</p><p>Byleth laughs nervously. “If...if that was what you wanted, you could’ve said so in the first place, El,” she says, before hesitantly bringing Edelgard up to kiss her.</p><p>The kiss starts off soft, tentative, before quickly turning to...something else. Edelgard kisses Byleth with a half-desperate fervor, which seems to surprise Byleth for only a moment before she returns it with a fervor of her own. Edelgard clings tight, tries to memorize the feel of Byleth’s skin against hers, the way her lips move against hers, the shape of her mouth…</p><p>Byleth pulls away, flushed, the look in her partially lidded eyes heated. “What...what did you have in mind? How did you want to do this?”</p><p>“I...didn’t have anything in particular in mind, really. I just want...to feel you.” </p><p>There’s more than that, so much more that goes unsaid, but Byleth seems to understand at least part of it, if her expression is anything to go by. “...Okay. I have something in mind. Let me know if I do anything that’s not okay, or if you don’t like it,” Byleth says, flipping their positions so that Byleth is on top before hitching up the bottom of Edelgard’s long nightdress for access and tentatively grinding her leg between Edelgard’s thighs. Edelgard’s breath hitches at the contact, and Byleth hardly gives her the time to catch her breath, settling into a steady rhythm as she rubs her leg against her again and again. Edelgard finds herself unable to help herself from meeting Byleth’s movements with her own, choking out a small sound when Byleth shifts her leg and brushes against her with a particularly nice angle.</p><p>“This...won’t last very long,” Edelgard says, breathless, and in wordless reply, Byleth’s movements become more frantic. True to her word, it doesn’t take long before Edelgard reaches her peak. Edelgard comes with a cry, and Byleth works her through the aftershocks until she goes limp in Byleth’s arms, almost too sensitive to continue.</p><p>There’s an odd hunger in Byleth’s eyes, but Edelgard thinks she understands. She reverses their positions again, straddling Byleth, before abruptly dropping a hand down to rub Byleth over her nightclothes. She lets out a very interesting moan when the seam of her pants brushes against her clitoris, and Edelgard seeks to hear it again, her movements relentless.</p><p>“Haa...y-yes...El,” Byleth moans breathily against her throat, and Edelgard can hear the need clear in her tone.</p><p>“Like this?”</p><p>“<em>Yes</em>…”</p><p>It’s not their first sexual encounter together, but there’s a uniquely frantic, anxious energy to it tonight, the desperation of two people who might not live through tomorrow. There’s no time to slow down, no time to look back—they only have time for <em>this</em>, and Edelgard tries to memorize the feel of Byleth’s skin, the shape of her curves, the sheen of sweat on her brow, the look in her eyes as she comes undone…</p><p>It doesn’t take Byleth long to fall asleep afterward, but Edelgard is still awake. She can’t help but look over at her, studying her face in flickering candlelight, her hair—the evidence of what Rhea had done to her.</p><p>What will happen to Byleth, when this is all over? What will happen when they defeat the Immaculate One—what will become of her...gift to Byleth, if it’s a crest stone, as it surely must be if she can use the Sword of the Creator...there’s still so many things they don’t know, so many questions they don’t have answers to. But...the only way is forward. There’s no going back, and there never has been.</p><p>“My teacher...Byleth…” she says softly, cupping Byleth’s sleeping face with her hand as she uses her other to brush green strands of hair back from her forehead. “I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. I don’t know what’s going to happen to you when...when we defeat Rhea. But...I very much hope that you make it out all right.</p><p>“Because...I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”</p>
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